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Erin Morton might be an associate professor who works for a university setting up clinical trials but when she first experienced brain fog and other symptoms a few years ago aged 42, she said she was "horrified" at the lack of help or information.
Her symptoms – which she realised, thanks to her medical knowledge, were related to perimenopause, which hits the years before menopause – were so debilitating she feared she would have to quit her job.
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"Like many others, I thought it would be hot flushes in my 50s when my periods stopped," she said.
"If I didn't have the type of job I had which as long as I get my work done, it doesn't matter where or when, there is no way I could have kept my job."
But the "stigma" of what she was going through means she never mentioned it at work, admitting she turned to friends and Facebook chats to share information.
She eventually opted to take menopausal hormonal therapy (MHT).
With data backing up what Morton felt, she now wants to help other Aussie women.
A total of 85 per cent of Australian women who experience significant symptoms mostly go undiagnosed, misdiagnosed, untreated or mistreated according to a Medical Journal of Australia article published this year.
Morton, who works at Flinders University in Adelaide, has set up a registry to gather information on Australians' experience of perimenopause and menopause called VITAL
She wants other women to share their experiences with the aim of measuring the impact.
"It's not to say everybody has horrible symptoms, but at the same time, they're preventable, and everyone should have an option to go, 'Do I want medical treatment, do I just want to get information?'" she said.
"This is an area of health that is so neglected and is still really stigmatised."
'Lost and frustrated'
Meanwhile, a group of Aussie women have sent a petition with 10,000 signatures to federal parliament over the issue.
The "peripausers", as they have named themselves, want GPs to be given more education on perimenopause and menopause and are demanding Health Minister Mark Butler take action.
The six women say they all felt dismissed by medics over symptoms.
It took Melbourne fashion business owner Kerry Pietrobon, 55, five years to get a diagnosis.
She said she felt "lost" as she started having trouble concentrating and later developed fatigue, dizziness and high blood pressure.
"I was getting frustrated that nothing I was doing was making me feel better," she said.
Her health later worsened and she suffered from irritability, anxiety, panic attacks, and heavy periods.
She did get help from a naturopath but, despite multiple GP visits, feels she was brushed off.
It wasn't until this year she was finally diagnosed as having menopause symptoms.
She believes because she didn't have the most common signs, she wasn't taken seriously.
"Because I did not present with the three most common symptoms of hot flushes, night sweats or irregular periods, I was sent away with little more than try to stress less, get more sleep and lose some weight," she said.
"It shouldn't be shameful, it's what we all go through."
The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners told 9news.com.au that while it undertakes activities which work to support GPs' awareness and understanding of menopause, it could be "better supported".
"While members can access RACGP continuing professional development for free, additional government funding to support and encourage participation in education and training would be valuable," a spokesman said.
The federal government said the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) is providing funding of $1.1 million for the development of MenoPROMPT – a practitioner tool to improve the care of women at and/or after menopause.
It has also set up the National Women's Health Advisory Council.
"Menopause can wreak havoc on people's lives, careers, relationships, and mental health," Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care Ged Kearney said.
"The Albanese government is committed to making a difference for women of every age and at every stage.
"Menopause is an issue that needs a fresh approach.
"We need to shine a light on menopause and identify gaps that exist in the treatment of women's health.
"No one should suffer in silence."
Do you have a story? Contact journalist Sarah Swain on [email protected]
What are menopause and perimenopause?
Menopause happens when a woman's ovaries no longer have any eggs to release – and it's preceded by perimenopause.
Symptoms are caused by a drop in hormone levels, with hot flushes, night sweats, brain fog, depression, anxiety and weight gain common.
More than three million Aussie women are currently in the 40–59 age bracket – the years most associated with menopause.
More than two million women over 60 years are affected by biological changes post-menopause that increase risks of cardiovascular disease, dementia, diabetes, osteoporosis and some cancers.
Medication such as menopausal hormonal therapy (MHT), formerly called hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can help.
